


Luckily, Too Much

by Fidomom



Category: Roswell (TV 1999)
Genre: #Candy, #M&M, #MandM, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:20:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25885738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fidomom/pseuds/Fidomom
Summary: Michael comes clean with Maria regarding the prom.
Relationships: Maria DeLuca/Michael Guerin
Kudos: 4





	Luckily, Too Much

**Author's Note:**

> This is AU fic around the time of the Heart Of Mine episode. An alternate solution to Michael hiring a dance instructor. Creative license taken regarding Michael's apartment; Max is already living with Michael and I gave them each their own bedroom.
> 
> ~FM :)

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction. It is only loosely based on characters from the 1999-2002 tv series Roswell as I imagine they could be from different points throughout and beyond the three seasons of the show. I am not affiliated with any of the original creations nor creators from the series. I will make no monetary gains from publishing this work of fiction.

**Luckily, Too Much  
by _Fidomom_**  
  
Max took one look at Michael and guessed, "Maria again? What did you do this time?"  
  
Michael scowled and asked indignantly, "Why do you automatically assume I did something wrong?"  
  
Max looked Michael in the eye with an unwavering gaze and the slightest smirk as he asked, "Are you saying you didn't?"  
  
Michael huffed and admitted, "No. Why is that stupid dance so important to her anyway?"  
  
Max narrowed his eyes discerningly and guessed again, "Let me guess, she wants you to take her, you declined and now she's pissed? How am I doing?"  
  
Michael gave him a thumbs up and then leaned over, with his forearm across his knees and he rested his eyes against it.  
  
Max prompted him, "So why'd you turn her down? You asked why it's so important to her but I want to know why you're so against it."  
  
Michael sat up and defended, "It's not that, Maxwell. It's just that dancing wasn't exactly a skill Hank decided to teach me, you know?"  
  
Max shook his head at Michael and suggested impatiently, "Then just tell her that instead of turning her down and making her feel like you don't want to go because of her."  
  
Michael frowned, clearly baffled and asked, "Why would she think it's because of her? I never said that."  
  
Max sighed and pointed out, "Because, Michael, she isn't a mind reader and all she knows is she wants you to take her to the dance and you flat out said no, and if I know you, you didn't even give her a reason."  
  
Michael scoffed, "As if I'm gonna admit to her that I don't know how to dance. I'm already lacking in enough areas in her eyes. I don't need to add that to it."  
  
Max openly grinned and teased, "Right. Because Maria would totally dump your ass for not knowing how to dance. That would be the final straw, spaceboy. You're so right. Better to just let her dump you for pissing her off and hurting her feelings instead of because you were honest with her about the dancing issue. Your intact pride will totally win you time with her in the eraser room, too, I bet. Good call."  
  
Michael grimaced at him in annoyance and said, "You're hilarious, Maxwell."  
  
Max clapped Michael on the shoulder on his way out of the apartment and advised, "Michael, get out of your own way and just tell her the truth. Good luck, bro."  
  
Michael groaned aloud and kicked at the coffee table leg in frustration. He pulled out his phone and texted Maria, "Call me asap."  
  
He put his phone away, sighed heavily, pulled it back out and texted her again, "Please. <3"  
  
He didn't get a chance to put it away before it rang. He answered it, "Maria?"  
  
"Yeah, it's me. Are you in jail or dying?"  
  
"Michael pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it like it was malfunctioning then put it back to his ear and answered, "No?"  
  
"Okay well now I'm really puzzled because one we are not currently on speaking terms, two you never text me or call me first, you've definitely never sent me a text heart ... oh my God! I'm talking to a fake Michael aren't I? What have you done with my boyfriend? Where is he? I swear to God if you hurt him, I won't need any gnarly Czechoslovakian powers to make you suffer!"  
  
Michael's eyes glinted in pleased amusement and he answered, "I'm not fake and considering you supposedly aren't speaking to me it's nice to know you'd care if I got abducted. I wanted you to call me because Maxwell made me realise something important. And for the record, which we both know you are keeping, I only don't call you first because one you're usually busier than me and two if I'm calling first it's because you're pissed at me which means you'd ignore my call even if you weren't busy. I figured I'm less likely to get hung up on mid-sentence if you call me of your own volition if and when you have some free time."  
  
"Okay, that makes some sense, I guess. Still, this is so not like you. Oh my God. You're breaking up with me again, aren't you? Over the damned phone, Michael? And you made me call you, to do it? That is so low!"  
  
Michael hastily denied it, "No, I'm not breaking up with you! Geez, Maria. Would you dial back the paranoia! That's why I sent the damned heart thing. So you'd know it wasn't anything bad."  
  
"Oh. So you're really not dumping me? I'm so confused right now, Michael. Why did you want me to call you?"  
  
Michael winced and just blurted it out before he lost his nerve, "I can't dance, Maria. I don't know how." There was dead silence for several seconds and then Maria said, "Unbelievable." and hung up on him.  
  
Michael looked at his phone in shock and then threw it across the room in frustration as he complained, mimicking Max's voice, "Just tell her the truth, Michael. Yeah thanks for nothing, Maxwell! That went great!"  
  
Michael started to fix himself some food, if only for the busy work, taking out his frustration on dishes, and cupboard and refrigerator doors alike. A knock at the door startled him, making him nick his finger mid-slice of a tomato. He cursed aloud, sucking the wound as he went to answer the door. He opened it, saw Maria, and almost closed it again, in her face. She gave him a warning look and said, "Don't even think about it, pal-ly."  
  
He rolled his eyes and stood aside in silent invitation for her to come in. She noticed his injured finger and grabbed for his hand, "Let me see that, Michael. How'd that happen? Nevermind. Where are your band-aids unless Max is around to fix it?"  
  
Michael yanked his hand away and informed her, "Maxwell isn't here and we don't have band-aids. What are you doing here, Maria? And how'd you get here that fast?"  
  
She quickly kissed his cheek and declared, "I was already here when I called, trying to convince myself to ask you about the dance again. Thanks to our little chat I decided to be proactive. If I want the date of my choice to take me to the dance then I guess it's up to me to teach him how to dance. Let's get your finger wrapped, first, pretty sure I have a band-aid in my purse. Yep! Here it is. Don't be difficult, Michael. Give me your finger. There. Better?"  
  
He shrugged and answered noncommittally, "I guess. But you can go now because no way in hell are you teaching me to dance."  
  
Maria pouted at him and demanded, "Why not? And why so emphatic about it?"  
  
Michael countered, "Why'd you hang up on me like that? I thought you were pissed at me because I can't dance."  
  
Maria smirked and pointed out, "And I thought my boyfriend was just being arbitrarily mean to me when he refused to take me to the dance. Being out of the loop doesn't feel so good, now does it?"  
  
Michael opened his mouth as if to argue and then he let out a long, slow breath, his shoulders slumping and he agreed, "No, it doesn't. I'm sorry for not just telling you when you asked. And look, it's not that I don't want to learn how to dance or that I think you can't teach me it's that, come on Maria, you're my girlfriend, I don't want to look even more stupid than usual in front of you. This is so humiliating."  
  
Maria smiled kindly at him and reassured, "It doesn't have to be that, Michael. You'd be doing me a couple of favours if you let me teach you to dance."  
  
Michael narrowed his eyes and asked suspiciously, "Such as?"  
  
Maria walked up to him and posed them in a waltz stance together as she answered, "You'd be helping me get the date I want, you'd be giving me a reason, other than making out, to spend time with my boyfriend, not that I have any complaints about that but it would just be nice to also spend time with him doing other things, and it would make me feel kind of special if he trusted me to be his dance teacher, plus I like doing nice things for my boyfriend, it makes me feel good. Please, Michael?"  
  
Michael searched her face for any sign of ridicule or derision and finding none he relented, "Okay, fine, you can try to teach me to dance; keyword try. But I have some rules."  
  
Maria's face was lit up with a delighted smile and she celebrated, "Yes! Thank-you, spaceboy! It'll be great, you'll see! What kind of rules are we talking about here?"  
  
Michael stated, "No making fun of my progress or lack thereof either in front of me nor behind my back. No holding making out with me hostage depending on the success or duration of the dancing lessons. At least some of the music better be what I like. You can't forbid me from doing anything during the lessons that we both know we'll be doing at the dance. Not more than ten hours total in lessons from now until the dance; if I haven't improved after ten hours of instruction, I'm not going to. And finally, our first lesson is not tonight."  
  
Maria asked suspiciously, "Why not tonight? The rest I can agree to."  
  
Michael dropped their waltz pose in favour of holding her closer with his arms around her lower back and he asked, "Did we or did we not just have a fight?"  
  
Maria looked worried and she tried to reassure him, "Yes, we did, sort of, but it was just a miscommunication, Michael; the usual story of us. Are you still mad at me for hanging up on you?"  
  
Michael shook his head and replied resolutely, "No, I'm not mad, anymore. Are you still mad at me for just saying no without saying why?"  
  
Maria shook her head, too and replied pensively, "No. I wasn't even mad that you said no, to begin with. My feelings were hurt that you said no and that's what made me mad, at myself, not you, because by now I should just either have a tougher skin or give up on us altogether, only I can't do that because I'm crazy in love with you and I get frustrated with myself for blaming you for being typically you because like you once said, if I don't want you to be you, then why am I trying so hard to stay in this relationship, you know? I'm sorry, Michael. I know I don't make any of this easier on you, no wonder you fought against being with me. I'm kind of a mess sometimes, okay most of the time. There's normal neurotic and then there's me taking it to a whole other level. And now I've probably just talked you right back into the not wanting to be with me zone."  
  
Michael chuckled, shook his head, and then said gently, "Shut-up, Maria. It's way too late for that. I'm in this now, wise or not and there's no one else I'd rather be crazy in love with, than you. And to be clear, I am. You drive me insane but apparently I like it that way. I never feel more alive than when I'm either fighting with you or loving you."  
  
Maria's mouth opened in surprise and her eyes welled with unshed tears as she said his name, "Michael. I -"  
  
Michael shook his head and put his thumb against her lips as he admonished, "I said shut-up.", and then he replaced his thumb with his lips.  
  
Maria kissed him back and when he started to move them toward his couch, she clung more fervently to his body and his mouth, becoming more aggressive, when he sat down with her, straddling his lap. She pushed him to lay down and he pulled her with him. Maria paused between kisses to ask, "This is us making up, now, right? Just say yes or no."  
  
Michael stole another kiss before answering, "Yeah, if you'd quit interrupting."  
  
She nodded and resumed kissing him until his stomach growled very loudly. She looked at him in amusement and he defended, "I was making a sandwich when you showed up.", and he indicated his injured finger. She rolled off of him to sit on the floor in front of the couch, looked up at him and inquired, "Would you like to get back to it?"  
  
Michael sat up, put his feet back on the floor, indicated his injured finger, again and suggested, "No, but I'd let you finish making it, for me."  
  
Maria chuckled and pointed a scolding finger at him as she warned, "If you had worded that any other way, you'd either be making it yourself or you'd starve."  
  
Michael shrugged and amusement twinkled in his eyes as he countered, "You shouldn't have told me you like doing nice things for me. A sandwich would be really nice, right about now."  
  
Maria shook her head, smiling in spite of her exasperation with him and declared, "You're unbelievable.", and she got to her feet to go finish making his sandwich.  
  
Michael called out to her, "Feel free to make yourself something, too. We can eat together and watch some of that Scooby Doo marathon, I taped for us."  
  
Maria joined him on the couch a few minutes later, with their sandwiches. He pressed play on the remote, set the remote aside and accepted the sandwich Maria handed to him. She sat beside him with her own sandwich and kissed his cheek. He looked at her questioningly and she said, "Thank-you."  
  
Michael sat up straighter and said, "Uh, right, thanks for the sandwich, Maria."  
  
Maria smiled and said, "You're welcome but I wasn't prompting you; I'm saying thank-you."  
  
Michael frowned, put his arm around her, pulled her in tighter to his side and asked, "What for?"  
  
Maria lay her head on Michael's shoulder, smiling as she elaborated, "For spending time with your girlfriend doing other things, too. Nice to know you heard me."  
  
They ate their sandwiches in relative silence as they watched the Scooby-Doo marathon. When Michael finished his sandwich, he kissed her forehead and spoke as if there hadn't been any lull in their conversation, "For the record, I always hear you, it's just sometimes it takes me a while to act on it. Luckily for me, you talk a lot and give me a lot to hear."  
  
Maria lifted her head and looked at him. She asked incredulously, "Luckily? But, Michael, you always complain I talk too much!"  
  
Michael nodded and agreed, his eyes once more riveted to the cartoon he'd put on, "Yeah. You do."  
  
Maria insisted, "Michael, you can't have it both ways. You can't say luckily and then say it's too much. Which is it?"  
  
Michael didn't answer right away but then he rephrased, "Luckily for me you talk a lot and repeat yourself a lot or I'd have no idea at all what makes you happy. It's only when you don't give me any quiet time to process it, that it's too much. So it actually is both."  
  
Maria just shook her head and muttered more to herself than to Michael, "I thought Isabel made up the whole Michael land, thing, but apparently not. Of course it's both, Maria, he's a freaking Czechoslovakian; welcome to Michael land, indeed. Could be worse, at least it's comfy here and the scenery is ... interesting.", and she caressed Michael's jawline with her fingertip.  
  
Michael pressed pause, looked at Maria and suggested, "If you aren't into this we can go back to making out. What time you gotta be home?"  
  
Maria smiled and said, "Well, my Mom actually said this to me recently, if I'm just out with friends, eleven, if I'm studying with Liz, midnight and if I'm alone with you, sunset."  
  
Michael scoffed and commented, "We've had some of our most intense makeout sessions in broad daylight, so if she thinks that will stop us, she's kidding herself."  
  
Maria shook her head, chuckled and reassured, "She was mostly joking, spaceboy, calm down. I got her to land between friends and studying, eleven-thirty if I'm alone with you. As much as I love Scooby Doo and I'm glad we spent some time doing something else, I think we weren't quite done making up. You disappointed?"  
  
Michael quickly turned off the VCR and the television and replied sarcastically, "Crushed. Hey! Where do you think you're going?"  
  
Maria answered, "I'm just putting our dirty dishes in the kitchen; I'll be right back. I guess Max will be back around eleven-ish, assuming he's out with that Czechoslovakian skank, again?"  
  
Michael called back, "Yeah, probably, so hurry up. That only gives us a couple of more hours alone together."  
  
Maria called out from the kitchen, "So then hurry up and go brush your teeth, Michael. I had my own sandwich, I don't want or need to taste yours. And don't hog the sink and the mirror, I gotta brush mine, too!"  
  
Maria joined him in front of the bathroom sink, grabbed her travel sized toothbrush from Michael's medicine cabinet, hip bumped Michael into moving over more and then she started to brush her teeth, too. Michael asked between spitting, "Why do you always insist on us doing this at the same time?"  
  
Maria looked at him in the mirror, spat and answered, "To drive you crazy."  
  
Michael groaned aloud, briefly closed his eyes in regret and questioned rhetorically, "And I just gave you that to use as a free pass from now on, didn't I?"  
  
Maria grinned around her toothbrush, with her mouth tightly closed and she vigorously nodded her head.  
  
Michael rolled his eyes, kissed the side of Maria's head, put his toothbrush away and asked over his shoulder, as he left the bathroom, "You want candles and music, right?"  
  
Maria spat for the last time and called out, "Hey, you're learning! I'm impressed, spaceboy!"  
  
After also using the toilet and washing up, Maria finally joined him in the living room again. Upon seeing her, Michael gestured to the candles lit around the room and asked, "Not enough? Enough? Or too much?"  
  
Maria smiled at him adoringly and answered, "Definitely enough. Thank-you, Michael. This is hardly ever your thing, though, so I'm curious, why do I get candles and music, tonight?"  
  
Michael had already closed the distance between them and was softly kissing her neck, her ear, her face, and her lips randomly while groping her behind. He answered between kisses, "Lots of reasons. Like you're talking to me, again. You put a band-aid on my finger even though we were kind of fighting. You're willing to risk your cute little toes, teaching me to dance all just because you want me to be your prom date that much. You made a sandwich for me that I did not have to add extra sugar or tabasco to because it was already just right. You were willing to kick someone's ass for abducting me and replacing me with a fake, even though you were still mad about the dance thing. You went to bat for us with your Mom for a more reasonable curfew. But the biggest reason why you get candles and music tonight is just because I love you and I like it when you're happy with me. I guess maybe I like doing nice things for my girlfriend sometimes, too."  
  
Maria clung to Michael, accommodating him wherever his lips went and she managed to breathe out after a particularly deep kiss on the lips, "I love you, Michael. There are too many clothes in the way. Michael, please!"  
  
Michael stripped them both down to their underthings and then they lay down together on the couch, to resume making up and making out. Michael was sucking her skin on the swell of her breast, right near her bra cup line, leaving his mark, as his thumb caressed all around her navel and his fingers curled over her hip possessively. Maria moaned impatiently, squirming underneath him, sucking his skin where his neck and shoulder met, gripping his shoulders and raking her short nails across them at random intervals.  
  
At her first sound of impatience, Michael's hand at her hip immediately slipped into the waistband of her briefs and slowly migrated toward her crotch. When his fingers dipped inside the damp folds of her sex, Maria thrust upward seeking firmer contact and Michael obliged pressing his thumb pad against her clit and rubbing firmly but gently, curling two fingers up inside her, taking his cues from her sounds and her hip movements.  
  
When she started panting, fidgeting, and moving her head side to side restlessly, Michael pushed her bra cup down with his mouth and sucked her nipple into his mouth. Maria let out a short, high pitched, loud scream, then another one and then Michael felt her warmth coating his fingers as she trembled beneath him in delirious pleasure. He released her nipple and her bra cup resumed it's former position, covering it up again.  
  
Michael kissed Maria deeply on the lips, with his fingers still inside her, now slowly moving in and out, in rhythm with his tongue in her mouth. Maria met his inward thrusts eagerly until she suddenly broke free from his kiss to yell his name repeatedly, between near sobs of pleasure. Michael nuzzled her neck and whispered, "God you're beautiful."  
  
When Maria was coherent again, she nudged at Michael to gain access to his erection. Michael closed his eyes, as her fingers closed around it and she began slowly squeezing and tugging, stroking him, kissing his skin wherever her lips could reach. Michael turned his head, pressed his nose against her hair, breathed in deeply and then he ejaculated over her hand with a groan of satisfaction.  
  
Without a word, Michael got up and brought Maria tissues for the mess and then he ducked into the bathroom to clean himself up, as well. Maria walked into the bathroom behind him to toss the soiled tissues in the toilet and to wash her hands with him. Their eyes met in the mirror. Maria smiled coyly at him but then she lowered her lashes and blushed. With still wet hands Michael wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the side of her head. He pointed out, "We still have about an hour until Maxwell comes back. Whatever you want to do is okay by me."  
  
Maria looked at them in the mirror and commented, "I only see two reminders. I think I need more than that."  
  
Michael's eyes glinted in amusement and he asked, "Where do you want them?"  
  
Maria turned in his arms, kissed him suggestively on the lips and answered, "Well, why don't you just put your mouth a whole bunch of different places and I'll let you know if I need a reminder there or not?"  
  
Michael chuckled appreciatively and said, "So we're not done making out. Sweet!"  
  
Maria shook her head and confirmed, "So not done, spaceboy. Take me back to your couch."  
  
Michael lifted her in his arms, cupping her bottom to support her as she wrapped her legs around him. They resumed kissing as he carried her back to the couch. He lay her down carefully and they continued kissing for a few more minutes before Maria pushed at his shoulders. Michael broke away from her mouth and slowly kissed his way down her body, staying at every spot she indicated, to leave her another reminder. She was satisfied with seven of them and then she demanded his mouth back on hers. They kissed without any breaks for several minutes and then Maria began easing off, trying to talk against Michael's mouth. He lifted his head and looked at her curiously as he asked, "Is everything okay?"  
  
Maria smiled at him, touched his face and assured him, "Yes. You and me are definitely okay, right now. But, I think I want to get dressed just in case Max comes back before you expect him to."  
  
Michael nodded and rolled off of her agreeing, "Okay, that's probably a good idea. Let's see, where'd I toss your shirt? Oh, there it is. I think your pants might have gotten kicked under the couch. I'll grab your shirt for you. Here."  
  
Maria eyed him suspiciously as she got dressed and then she asked, "Aren't you getting dressed, too?"  
  
Michael shrugged, shook his head and declined, as he went around the room extinguishing the candles, "No. I'm a guy. Maxwell is practically my brother. I don't care if he sees me in my boxers or not."  
  
Maria blushed and objected, "But Michael, if he comes back and I'm here with you, while you're just in your boxers, even though I'm dressed, he's gonna know exactly what we were doing tonight!"  
  
Michael nodded, grinned and agreed, "Yep, probably. I don't have a problem with that. You ashamed of us or something?"  
  
Maria pouted and admitted, "Well, no, obviously not. I mean I know our friends know that we do stuff but come on Michael, this blatant? Please get dressed?"  
  
Michael kissed her forehead and conceded, "Okay, since you're asking nicely, I'll get dressed. He's still gonna know, though."  
  
Maria heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Thank-you. And it's fine if he suspects or knows what we've been up to, without solid proof, I just like my illusion of privacy, okay?"  
  
Michael nodded and gave her hand a quick squeeze. Once he was dressed, too, they cuddled up on the couch together and Michael suggested, "More Scooby-Doo marathon?"  
  
Maria snuggled closer to him and nodded. Less than twenty minutes later, Max came in, and stopped short to see Maria asleep against Michael. He and Michael exchanged looks and Max grinned at him. Max gave him a thumbs up and asked quietly, "She been here long?"  
  
Michael nodded and answered, "A few hours. She's gotta be home by eleven-thirty. What time is it now?"  
  
Max walked over and showed him the time on his watch, as he suggested, "You should consider getting one of these nifty time keeping devices."  
  
Michael shook his head and explained, "Can't wear 'em. They go haywire on me, which kind of defeats the purpose of wearing one to know the correct time."  
  
Max noticed the bandage on Michael's finger and offered, "You want that fixed?"  
  
Michael looked him in the eye and stated bluntly, "No, Maxwell, I do not. I can live with this and let it heal the old fashioned way."  
  
Max narrowed his eyes and pointed out, "Wait, we don't have any band-aids. Maria's handiwork?"  
  
Michael answered defensively, "Yeah, so?"  
  
Max stifled a laugh and backed off saying, "Nothing, bro. I get it. I'm going to bed. You better wake her up and take her home."  
  
Michael commented, "She drove herself here and I am not up to the walk back from her place."  
  
Max suggested, "You could always call her Mom and explain that Maria fell asleep, I'll vouch for you. I doubt she'd want Maria driving at night feeling drowsy."  
  
Michael thought about it and decided it was worth a shot. He called Maria's Mom, using Maria's phone, since his was somewhere behind the television and likely broken. Amy DeLuca answered on the second ring sounding worried, "Hello? Maria? What's wrong?"  
  
Michael cleared his throat and explained, "Actually, Ms. DeLuca it's me, Michael. Nothing's wrong exactly, it's just, umm, Maria fell asleep watching cartoons with me and she drove herself here. Maxwell said I should just ask you what to do. Should I wake her up and let her drive home? Should I put her in a cab? She's welcome to stay here, of course but you know your daughter best, what should I do?"  
  
Amy DeLuca hummed and hawed, then finally stammered, "Well, I guess just leave her sleep, please, Michael. She doesn't do well being woken abruptly. You know my rules and I expect you to respect them and my daughter whether you're under my roof or not. Clear?"  
  
Michael was already nodding and agreeing, "Absolutely, clear, Ms. DeLuca. She'll be fine here and perfectly safe. I'll leave her a note before I go to sleep, in case she wakes up and panics thinking she missed her curfew."  
  
Amy DeLuca made a pleased sound and said, "That is very thoughtful of you, Michael. Thank-you for consulting me instead of just assuming anything. Good night, sweet boy."  
  
Michael smiled at the endearment and said, "Good night, Ms. DeLuca."  
  
Michael and Max fist bumped and then Max went to bed. Michael carried Maria to his bed without rousing her in the slightest. He made good on his word to Amy DeLuca and wrote Maria a note explaining why he hadn't woken her for her curfew. He was tempted to climb into bed beside her but considering her Mom's specific rules, he resisted the urge and made himself comfortable on the couch, instead.  
  
When Michael woke up briefly around three in the morning, he was surprised to discover he was no longer alone on the couch; Maria was fast asleep in his arms and he had no idea how long she'd been there. He didn't much care, either. He tightened his arms around her with a contented sigh and let himself doze off again. No way could Ms. DeLuca blame this one on him. Michael slept with Maria for the rest of the wee hours of the morning with a completely clear conscience.  
  
 **DONE**


End file.
